Locomotive sanding station



Oct. 30, 1956 B. s. sNow 2,768,769

LOCOMOTIVE SANDING STATION Filed Feb, 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I l I. .l M jd r/ Oct. 30, 1956 B. s. sNow LOCOMOTIVE SANDING STATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 19, 1954` United States Patent C) LoooMorIvE sANDlNG STATION Barton-S. Snow, Batavia, Ill., assignorl to T. W. SnowV Construction Co., a corporation of Illinois Application February 19, 1954, serial No. 411,405

7 claims. (cl. zzz- 1859v This invention relates to a locomotive sanding station and more particularly to an arrangement of a gravity feed sanding station having delivery lines oneither side of the locomotive.

The sand boxes of diesel locomotives are usually illed inr the yard from an elevated tank through lines carrying the sand to the boxes by gravity ow. These boxes are located on both sides of the locomotive and it is usually desirable to fill them from the same elevated tank, The boxes on various locomotives are at diferent elevations and the boxes at opposite ends of a locomotive may be at different levels.

In order to obtain gravity flow of sand through delivery lines, it is necessary to maintain the proper gradient. In the past, it has been diflicult to properly position the hose lines to maintain such gradient and no adequate means for doing so has been available.

The present invention utilizes a system of supply hoses j andV a mechanism for raising and lowering these hoses so that they will be at proper elevationton'both sides of theV locomotive when properly adjusted from a single control.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a new and improved locomotive sanding station for filling the sand boxesV on such locomotives.

Another object of the invention is `to provide a hose delivery system in which a proper gradient is maintained on the lines insuring gravity flow of sand into the boxes of the locomotives even though the boxes may be located at different elevations. j

A further object is the provision of gravity supply hoses for sand delivery having lifting :cables reeved to permit a single control for raising and lowering the hoses a like amount on both sides of the locomotive.

Other features, advantages and objectsl of the present invention willV be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompaying drawings. in 4 which:

Figure l is a fragmetary elevational View of a` sanding station showing the hose in dotted and full lines to illus".- trate the positions to whichV the hoses may be raised and lowered; and

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a slightly l different arrangement of the reeving of the delivery conduits. The two` iigures of the drawings illustrate similar sanding stations and' differ only in the position of the raising and lowering winch for the conduits, In some yrailroad yards, the servicing tracks may have posts or poles on either side of the track so that the system of Figure l can most appropriately be used, In other yards, it may not be possible to reeve the lift cables on the conduits on the side of the track opposite the sanding tank so that the system of Figure 2 would be most appropriate for use. The operation and structure of the two sanding stations illustrated in the drawings are in other respects very similar. hereinafter with like reference numbers used on the same All parts of the sanding station will be described y 2,768,769 Patented Oct. 30, 1956 ICC parts'. andthe slight differences between the two systems will be specifically pointed out.

In both Figures l and 2, a locomotive servicing railroad` track 3 is shown as supporting a small size locomotive'L on trucks T or alternatively a larger size locomotive L. On the left hand side of track 3 as viewed in the figures, there is provided a foundation 4 supporting a column 5 formed of a pair of wide flange beams. A tan-k 6is. mounted on the top of the column 5 and is suppliedwith sand through an air delivery line 7 communicating with the tank and supplied with sand from a remote source. The foundation 4 is hollow for the purpose of receiving delivery lines (not shown) to the line 7 -for filling the tank 6 with sand.

Sand is delivered to the locomotive through gravity conduits which include a header line 8 which extends from the tank 6v outwardly and downwardly over the service `track 3. A valve 9 is provided adjacent the upper end of the header 8 to control the admission of sand to the header. The main portion of the header is a pipe connected to an elbow 10 adjacent the valve 9 by a iiexible hose section 11. This section permits the header to be elevated from the lfull line position shown to the dotted liiie position above the full line position. The header isV thus, in effect, pivotally connected to the tank so that it may swing vertically under appropriate controls.

The far side of the locomotive is serviced by a gravity feed' conduit 12 connected to the end of the header 8. This conduit `or delivery line extends downwardly in freely hanging relation and is provided with a shut-off valve i3 which can be controlled by the operator in filling the sand box Bon the far side of the locomotive. A delivery nozzle 14 beyond the valve 13 may be used to open and closeV the valve 13 in accordance with the disclosure in the copending application of Barton S. Snow, Serial No. 371,459 tiled July 3l, 1953.

The side of the locomotive adjacent the column 5 is serviced by another gravity feed conduit 15 connected to a nipple'l" on the header 8 intermediate its ends. A flexible hose section 17 provides an elbow allowing some flexibility of the delivery line 15 adjacent the connection to the header. Another hose section 18 is placed in the delivery linev a short distance from the flexible section 17 to permit additional flexibility, The bottom section 19 of the deliveryline is a hose section provided with a valve 20 and4 a nozzle section of hose for reaching thc nearsand box B' on the locomotive. The valve 2) is of the same nature as the valve 13.

In operation, a workman on the ground level swings the delivery hoses so that the nozzle portions extend into the sand boxes on the locomotives and thereafter open the' valves 13 and 20 to permit sand to pour into the boxes. A proper gradient is maintained by raising and lowering the delivery hoses so that the lower ends are generally beside the boxes which are to be filled. This is done without permitting any loops or traps in the lines which would prevent gravity iiow of sand.

The particular means employed to raise and lower the delivery lines are cablesV controlled by a winch 2S having a crank 26 for hand operation and a lift cable 27 wound upon the winch. The lift cable 27 is connected to a counterweight 28 which balances in part the weight of the delivery linesA and header which all swing about the exible hose section 11 connecting the header to the tank. The reeving of the cable to lift the delivery lines and header is similar in both Figures l and 2 except for the location of the winch.

In Figure l, the winch 25 is located upon a light pole 29 mounted on the side of the track 3 opposite the column 5.. A platform 3i), which may be swung into an out-ofvided on this side of the locomotive for the convenience of the workmen in filling the sand boxes. A pulley 31 is mounted on the top of the post 29 and the lift cables pass over this pulley and are connected to the counterweight 28. One line 32 is connected to a bracket 33 on the outer end of the header. The other cable 34 passes overa sheave 35 mounted on the header 8 and then over a sheave 36 mounted on a link 37 pivotally connecting the delivery line 15 to the column 5. The cable is anchored at 38 to the column 5 so that the connection to the link is a runner. Both cables 34 and 32 are connected to the counterweight 28 and a single cable 29 then passes from the counterweight to the winch 25.

In operation, the cable 32 may lift the outer end of the header and the outer delivery line 12 will be lifted the same vertical amount as the outer end of the header. It is desirable that the inner delivery line raisea like amount. The header at the sheave 35 does not move vertically as much as the outer end so that the hose is caused to raise the same amount as the hose 12 by the provision of the link and runner. Trial-'and-error positioning of the sheave 35 and sheave 36 on the link will provide an equal movement vertically of the inner delivery line 15 with the outer delivery line 12. The link 37 also provides a be improperly positioned to maintain gravity flow of sand f through the delivery lines.

mediate the end and tank for conducting sand from the header to boxes on both sides of a locomotive; and hoisting apparatus for positioning the feed conduits at proper elevation opposite locomotive sand boxes including a winch near ground elevation, a iirst cable connected with means for shifting the inner delivery line 15 outwardly toward the column 5 providing clearance for the locomotive on the service track 3.

In the arrangement of Figure 2, the operation is the same as described for Figure l. However, the winch is located on the column 5 and the pulley 31 in Figure 1 is at the top of column 5. A pulley 39 is supported on an arm 4i) extending outwardly over the service track 3 from the column 5. A diagonal brace member 41 may be provided to hold the arm 40 in place. The cable 32 passes iirst over the pulley 31 and then outwardly over the track around the pulley 39 and is connected at 43 to the header 8. By this arrangement the header may be elevated by the cable 32 in similar manner to that described for the arrangement of Figure l. The cable 34 passes over a sheave 42 also supported on the arm 40. This cable then passes over the sheave 35 located on the header intermediate its ends and through the runner provided by the sheave 36 on the link 37 to the connection at 38 to the column 5 as described by the arrangement in Figure l.

By suitable operation of the winch 25 in either of the Figures l or 2, the cable may be pulled, raising theheader and delivery lines from the full line positions to the dotted line positions. A partial raising may position the lines to deliver sand to box B1 on either side of a larger locomotive L as illustrated. As the lines should be elevated out of position to allow spotting of a locomotive, they may be raised to the upper dotted line position illustrated, thus providing adequate clearance for any lothe winch and reeved to raise and lower the outer end of the header, and a second cable also connected with the winch and reeved to raise and lower the supply conduit adjacent the column an additional amount over movement of its point of connection with the header to maintain the discharge ends of said supply conduits at substantially the same elevation.

2. A sanding station for locomotives, comprising: a sand tank elevated on a column beside a track; a gravity feed header pipe extending outwardly from the tank; feed conduits extending downwardly from the header, one on comotive spotted on the service track 3. While the installation is primarily for servicing diesel locomotives, it might also be used for servicing steam locomotives which have sand boxes on top. In this system, a single supply line 45 is connected with an arm 40 about midway along the length of the header so as to extend down for servicing a sand box 47 on top of a locomotive, This delivery line is provided with a valve 48 and a bracket 49 for supporting the hose in out-of-the-way position when not in use.

Normally, the weight of the hoses and lines will bias the whole system downwardly and this is offset in part by the counterweight 28 to lighten the load on the winch 25 in raising the lines. Appropriate guides are provided for the counterweights, in Figure l being mounted inside the post 29, and the weight shown in Figure 2 being provided with an I-bolt 50 slidably receiving a guide rod 51. By use of the present invention, the service lines on either side of a locomotive may be raised and lowered a like -amount by use of the winch 25. This avoids the diiculty of positioning the hose on one side of a locomotive at Proper CIGVatOn Whereas 4the hose on the other side may either side of the track to service sand boxes on either side of a locomotive; a flexible coupling connecting the header to the tank permitting the header and feed conduits to be raised and lowered relative to the track; a link pivotally connecting the feed conduit adjacent the column to the column; a winch and cables for raising and lowering the header and feed conduits including a cable connection from the winch to the outer end of the header, and a cable connection from the winch to said link passing over a fixed point on the header intermediate its ends and havinga runner connection with the link permitting both feed conduits to be raised and lowered like amounts upon turning of the winch.

3. A sanding station as specified in claim 2 wherein the winch is attached to the column supporting the sand tank.

4. A sanding station as specified in claim 2 wherein the winch is attached to a support on the side of the track opposite the sand tank and a post is provided to support a sheave for said cables above the winch.

5. A sanding station as specified in claim 2 wherein both cable connections to the winch include therein a counterweight balancing the weight of the header and feed conduits in part.

6. A sanding station for locomotive, comprising: a sand tank elevated on a column positioned beside a track; a gravity feed header line extending from the tank downwardly and outwardly over the track and having a flexible connection with the tank permitting the header to be raised and lowered relative to the track; a pair of gravity feed conduits connected with the header, one at the end of the header for filling sand boxes on the far side of the locomotive and the other at an intermediate position on the header for filling sand boxes on the near side of the locomotive next to the column; and means for raising and lowering the feed conduits like amounts in unison including a link pivotally connected to the column and the near side conduit; a lift cable connected to the outer end of the header passing upwardly over a sheave to a winch near the ground; a second cable connection to the winch and passing over a sheave supported on the header intermediate its ends, about a sheave onthe link and then connected tothe column above the link, said sheaves on the header and link being located to provide equal raising and lowering of the conduits upon movement of said cables.

7. In a sanding station for locomotives having a column supported elevated tank and combined pipe and hose lines for delivering sand by gravity ow to either side of an adjacent track, mechanism for positioning the lines at proper elevation to maintain gradient during sand delivery, comprising: a header pipe extending outwardly header and then through a runner on said link, said adjacent delivery line having a ilexible connection to the header to permit vertical rit-:vement thereof in excess of the vertical movement of the header at the connection beover the track; a ilexible hose section joining a header 5 tween said delivery line and header.

pipe to the tank to permit vertical swinging of the header; a delivery line extending downwardly from the header on either side of the track; a link pivotally connecting the column and adjacent delivery line to swing the line upwardly and away from the track upon raising the header; and a pair of cables reeved to raise and lower the delivery lines like amounts, one connected to the outer portion of the header and the other over a pulley on the References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 847,494 Murphy Mar. 19, 1907 1,148,674 Gray Aug. 3, 1915 2,561,148 Snow July 17, 1951 

